Andrew Imbrie, Parnassus, Anthony Korf

Andrew Imbrie (b 1921) is a composer whose independence and singularity of purpose have endowed a prodigious output that awaits wider discovery. His method of composing is not in and of itself remarkable. He is, rather, of a tradition wherein achievement is measured in terms of individuality, depth of expression, and craft.

His music reveals a preoccupation with line, which in turn generates form, harmony and color. Line also motivates the forward motion and energy that characterizes so much of his music. Imbrie refers to a boyhood infatuation with the luscious harmonies of the great impressionists as pivotal in understanding what makes his own music work. Those were not just beautiful chords in Ravel’s music: The individual voices shared an important linear function as well.

Imbrie has fashioned an unmistakable language that is, unsurprisingly, far less difficult to identify than to describe. The music is neither tonal nor completely atonal. He is not, as some have written, a serialist. He composes by ear; his music is lyrical; he fashions large-scale works out of small motives. Here and there, the listener can detect the gestures and harmonies of jazz, though the references are subtle and well integrated. Imbrie’s expressive breadth is wide, often fantastical, and always fresh and unique.

This collection of five chamber compositions spans a twenty-six-year period beginning in 1961. Together, they testify to a highly individual presence, a voice expressively adaptable to a variety of media.